When I Could Speak Again
by sunsetunderground
Summary: Clary is in a family she despises and since the death of her mother has refused to speak. The Morgenstern's have moved house and with Clary and Jonathan now going to the same school as the Lightwoods and all of the other MI characters sparks are sure to fly...AH mainly Jace and Clary (but other usual pairings too) - not very good at summaries..!
1. Chapter 1

**Clary is in a family she despises and since the death of her mother has refused to speak. The Morgenstern's have moved house and with Clary and Jonathan now going to the same school as the Lightwoods and all of the other MI characters sparks are sure to fly...AH mainly Jace and Clary (but other usual pairings too)**

_I knew I wouldn't make it in time, I could feel his footsteps fast approaching, nevertheless I had to try. Forcing my legs to move even faster I sprinted down the hallway as fast as I could possibly manage whilst ignoring the searing pain up my leg, reminders of my punishment should I not escape. The door to my freedom was coming ever closer but as I reached my hand out as far as it could go, my fingertips brushing the cool metal, I felt a sharp claw into my shoulder swiftly crushing any possibility of getting away. I struggled fruitlessly as my captor pressed his body against mine, trapping me completely, his face inches from my own. "_

"_You're mine now, little sister" was the last thing I heard as I looked into his coal black eyes._

Clary immediately sat up and gasped, her chest rising and falling at an alarming rate as she tried to steady her breathing. _It's not real...It's not real…_were the thoughts repeatedly going through her mind while she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to shake back into reality. Despite her efforts, the tingling sensation she had felt in her sleep alerting her to danger was still present, preventing her from calming down completely. He suspicions were confirmed when her gaze swept across her room before finally resting on the figure sitting in an armchair.

"Quite recovered are we dear sister? I must admit despite the fun in watching you squirm in your bed it time to prepare for school. I took the liberty of packing your bag with everything you would need and making you breakfast."

Clary scowled at the mocking tone of her brother and got out of bed, attempting to shake the vulnerability caused by having him in her room watching her sleep. Trying desperately to keep an indifferent mask plastered on her face, she manoeuvred past the armchair to the door leading to her bathroom so that the distance between her and Jonathan was greater. However unprepared for the leg extended across her route she tripped, a cry of surprise escaping her lips as the mask slipped, her hands extending into anything that would stop her fall.

With lightning speed Jonathan had stood up, capturing Clary in his arms as she crashed into his chest. Placing her wrists in between her hands he carefully looked at her face, and noting the fear in her eyes smiled whispering "Don't worry, it was only a nightmare, it's over now." before abruptly letting her go and walking out her room.

Resting her body against the door frame Clary finally allowed herself to relax a bit, knowing that for now, the danger had past. _No_, she thought bitterly, _the nightmare has only just begun._

* * *

"Jace for the last time hurry up, we're going to be late!" came the irritated shouts of Isabelle Lightwood as she pounded her hand against his locked bedroom door. However what she was not prepared for was a very underdressed Aline Penhallow opening the door, and with a sickly smile relaying Jace's reply,

"He heard you, and we'll make our own way to school, thank you all the same."

Isabelle glared at the girl, infuriated as the door slammed in her face. _Just because our parents aren't home he thinks he can do whatever he wants_ she furiously thought, spinning on her heel as she walked to her brother's room, dragging him out of their house. After a confused Alec was filled in on the situation Isabelle started the car and drove off to school, trying to ignore the images of her brother and Aline flitting through her brain.

"It's only because he's trying to piss off her father," the outburst came directed at Alec, "he can't actually LIKE that shallow cow".

Alec sighed, nodding his head, more concerned with what the consequences of Jace's actions would be if Aline's father knew where she was last night. He continued to tune out Izzy's ramblings about 'dating' the principal's daughter and instead focussed on preparing himself for school once again, avoiding thoughts of the mysterious guy he had seen around town just a few days before whilst shopping for groceries before the embarrassment crashed over him again at his actions.

"_Oh, sorry," Alec said as his fingers brushed another's while reaching for the last carton of milk, "didn't see you there." _

_He turned to see his competition for the only remaining milk as his eyes rested upon the most beautiful guy he had ever seen, rendering him completely speechless as his catlike green and yellow eyes winked at him._

"_Er…if you want..to have it then..you can take..it" Alec managed to splutter out attempting to form a coherent sentence whilst grabbing the milk and holding it against his chest._

"_Really? Well I know I want to have it, and if you SAID I could take it.." his hand reached out and grabbed the milk, sliding it down Alec's chest before placing it in is trolley. With another flirtatious wink he continued to walk down the aisle and as Alec sighed and shook his head he continued shopping. _

Alec snapped out of his thoughts, not wanting them to travel to the moment when he was taking the bags to the car when he knew it was too late, they were surfacing anyway.

"_Shit!" He had loudly exclaimed, watching the groceries spill everywhere as two of his bags simultaneously broke as he desperately scrambled to try and scoop everything up. He felt the presence of someone helping and looked up to see a box of tampons in the person's hand. Alec could feel his face turning bright red as his eyes travelled up to see the same guy who had taken his milk, a wide grin on his face as he placed the box in an intact bag._

"_They're not mine..they're my sisters. Well obviously they're not mine but I suppose you wouldn't know who I had bought them for, it could have been my girlfriend of my mum…" He abruptly put a stop to his speech feeling incredibly awkward as barely spoke to strangers let alone ramble obsessively about his sister's menstrual cycle._

Alec put his face in his hands as a fresh wave of embarrassment enveloped him, especially having his sister sit next to him in the car. As they pulled into the parking lot he looked up at the familiar scene and shook himself out of his daze, it was time for a new year of school, and Alec had a feeling it would be the most exciting one yet.

**Okay so this was more of an introduction into Clary and Jace's individual lives...more characters introduced after! Hope you liked it and please review with any comments (good or bad) :) ALSO WHAT DOES OOC MEAN! OCC? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay so I thought I'd upload another chapter today as they're not very long at the moment and it takes a while for the story to develop...mainly just to cover Jace and Clary's first meeting **

**Disclaimer : Obviously don't own any characters etc - borrowed from the wonderful Cassandra Clare**

**Chapter 2**

As Clary got out of Jonathan's car her stomach plummeted, with her nerves escalating far beyond her control. _Breathe_ she reminded herself as she grabbed her bag, swinging it over her shoulder. She contemplated walking off without her brother, but soon dismissed the idea as his arm slung over her shoulder, steering her towards reception where he introduced them and, naturally, did all of the talking. Having spaced out of the conversation she only noticed his agitated tone after he had been arguing for several minutes, something about two of their classes not being the same. _Thank God_ Clary thought eagerly hoping there was no solution to this problem.

"Look," Jonathan was saying whilst leaning over the reception desk, "Clarissa needs to stay with me…as her brother I need to keep an eye on her and make sure she's okay".

Eventually it remained that Clary would have two subjects where her brother could not infiltrate, once of them being her favourite subject art. Inwardly Clary was ecstatic as not only was this her first period, but she had it nearly every day. Careful to hide her emotions on the outside she allowed a sigh to escape her as the bell indicating homeroom rang. Jonathan gave one last glare to the receptionist and stalked off, dragging Clary with him.

Mr Graymark, Clary decided, was instantly likeable with an easy going smile as he welcomed them both to the school. Thankfully not making them introduce themselves they sat down with relatively little attention, despite the looks many of the girls were giving Jonathan.

"Hi, I'm Simon" a brown-haired boy with a dungeons and dragons t-shirt on the left of Clary smiled, putting out his hand. She smiled in return, gratefully taking it, feeling happier than she had all morning. The moment ended, however, when Jonathan glared over at the boy, silencing any further conversation.

Clary found herself counting down the minutes until she would be free of her brother's irrational behaviour, albeit only for a little while, just managing to contain a smile when the bell rang.

* * *

Jace grinned to himself when he saw Aline panic as she got out of her car, trying desperately not to laugh as she ran off to her first class. Being late wasn't intentional, but it certainly wasn't a negative of having Aline stay over. He sauntered into school at his own pace, and after picking up his timetable and ignoring complaints of lateness he ambled into his first class.

"Jace, how nice of you to join us." Mr Blackwell said with raised eyebrows as he gestured to the only available seat in the class. Jace smiled blandly in return, about to reply with a witty remark when his gaze followed the direction of his hand. Sitting by an easel with a face of deep concentration was a girl with red hair in a messy bun, her green eyes bright with happiness. A muffled cough from Blackwell shook Jace out of his reverie as he realised he had been staring for too long. Briskly walking over to his seat he attempted to get to work as fast as possible to draw attention away from him.

Deciding not to let his close proximity to waste he stole a few glances of her work, which he had to admit, even by his standards, was exquisite. The theme, Jace saw written on the board, was "landscape" and he was astounded how vivid her picture was considering she must have only worked on it for ten minutes or so. Once she caught him staring and a deep blush spread across her cheeks before swiftly focusing back to her easel. _Angelic_, Jace thought before shaking his head attempting to rid himself of it. When the class was over he decided to watch where she would go, in order to give him some information regarding her personality so he could figure her out and get some peace of mind.

Clary jumped at the bell and looked, Jace decided, immensely disappointed. As he slowly scooped up his bag he watched as she hesitantly edged towards to door, craning her neck as if to check if someone was there. However once she had found whoever she was looking for she looked more anxious than ever, so much so that Jace was about to ask what was wrong when suddenly her face adopted a look of indifference, one that Jace knew by heart. _Interesting_ Jace mused as he watched her open the door with an air of confidence that he knew was fake.

Following her out he saw the person who elicited these feelings within her face to face, some smirking jerk who lazily slung his arm around her as soon as she left the classroom. In guy terms he was screaming out _she's mine_ to anyone within a five mile radius but what perplexed Jace was why she let him control her like that. About to intervene he was distracted by seeing an unusually flustered Alec leaning against his locker talking to a very glittery person he didn't recognise.

**Please R & R! to be honest even if you hate it I'd like to know - also still don't know what occ or ooc means..and if anyone has any ideas for the story then let me know as it isn't set in stone and I'm more writing to see where it takes me (basically open for suggestions :) ) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay so next chapter up! Again trying to pick up the pace slightly whilst introducing all of the characters..hope you enjoy! Thank you for all of the reviews so far I am really grateful! **

**Disclaimer - AGAIN obviously I own none of the characters..Cassandra Clare does..(or Cassie as she may like to be known as..Cass..the Cassonator..right that's definitely enough I shall stop) Anyone know how many times you have to put this? Do you even have to?!**

Chapter 3

_I've made it to lunch_, Clary thought while sitting down next to her brother, as if there was any other choice. Unfortunately Jonathan had caught the attention of quite a few female followers who decided that her table was the one in which their presence would grace. The girl/boy ratio was sorely unbalanced, though with a late arrival of the boy she sat next to in art class and who Clary supposed was his girlfriend the odds were looking up.

"I'm Aline" the new girl said, leaning over the table to give Jonathan a sizable view of her cleavage. Clary rolled her eyes at this blatant display, irritated that nobody knew what an ass he really was as they were too busy noticing his looks. She glanced at the guy who'd arrived with her, Jace she thought his name was, interested to see his reaction to her display. Clary was surprised when she saw him intently looking at her, even more so when he cocked his head in her brother's direction and raised his eyebrows. Embarrassed to have attracted this much attention from a small glance Clary stared at her plate of uneaten food, wishing she could blend into the background and disappear from sight. However when she saw Simon across the cafeteria, the guy in homeroom, laughing with some friends she couldn't help but sigh jealously.

Jace followed the girl's glance, intrigued despite himself, and found it resting on none other than Simon Lewis. A snort escaped him before he had time to control it which he knew she didn't miss as she sharply looked at him, frowning slightly. _Please_ he thought to himself _Simon Lewis of all people._ Vaguely shocked by the thoughts entering his mind he decided to start a conversation, after all girls were usually falling at his feet around now.

"Simon Lewis?" were the two words that escaped Jace's mouth, who immediately regretted them. The tone was mildly jealous and that, Jace firmly decided, was NOT the emotion he wished to convey. Clary frowned again, clearly confused. _Great_ Jace realised, _I sound like a possessive stalker in just two words…maybe I'll make it to mass murderer in five..._

"Out of all the people you could be staring at you stare at that nerd? What about your boyfriend over there?" _Definitely over compensating…now I just sound like a jerk _Jace inwardly groaned, wondering how his way with words was floundering talking to someone he had known all of five minutes.

Whilst he saw Clary furiously shaking her head Jace noticed he had caught the attention of the so-called 'boyfriend' who had shrugged off Aline to glare at him with a barely contained rage.

"Clarissa is he bothering you?" Jonathan snarled, never taking his eyes off Jace who was allowing a slow and careful smile to form on his face

"Because that's my sister, and should you lay a finger on her you would find yourself unable to talk or walk the next day."

Jace mentally readjusted his whole perspective on the situation. _Seems pretty close for a brother_ was the first thought, followed by a swell of empathy for Clarissa, he had heard her brother call her. He glanced across the table to see everyone else's reaction, but when he saw Aline smile like a Cheshire cat he knew their thoughts were only going in one direction. Rolling his eyes at their blindness he looked over to where Clarissa was sitting, only to see her worried glance penetrating his as if to convey a message. _Be careful_ it seemed to warn. Deciding causing a scene would be detrimental to his current school record on the first day, which he had promised his parents he would improve, as well as the redhead looking pretty on edge Jace slowly got up and shrugged his coat on.

"No scene, just friendly conversation. But then again if you react that badly to a 'friendly conversation' then some would question the level of insecurities you possess. Do you EVER let your sister decide what to do?" Jace delivered his mini-speech realising it had gone quite far, more so than he had originally intended. Jonathan clearly thought this too, and attempted to lunge out of his seat to grab Jace but his sister put a hand on his wrist, as if to calm him down. Jace had a suspicion that touching her brother was the last thing she wanted to do, and smiling gratefully at her looked over for Alec, Iz and the rest of their friends. Seeing them with Jordan and Maia in the opposite corner of the cafeteria he waltzed over to them, surprised that the exchange had ended relatively peacefully. Sparing one last look for Clarissa, who looked almost sadly at him before staring at her tray, he took the interrogation from Izzy about Aline almost without question, grunting at the appropriate points during her rant.

Clary found herself sitting in the girl's toilets despairing over her monumental fail of her day so far. Despite knowing that Jonathan's protectiveness would massively increase when they went to the same school, she was still unprepared for the swell of anger that was evoked whenever she was in near proximity to him. Locking herself in the cubicle she allowed her pent up rage to be released, furiously wiping tears off her face as she screwed her eyes closed. _I'm stronger than this_ Clary reminded herself knowing that her mother wouldn't wish to see her unhappy. Before memories of her mother could send her sobbing again she forced herself to think of the positives throughout the day. Art instantly came to mind, remembering the blonde haired guy called Jace who had arrived late and sat next to her. _Jace_. Clary's heart swelled, thinking of the way he had stood up for her at lunch and the danger he had put himself in. Knowing she was beginning to like him far too much too soon she forced herself to think about the harsh words that had come out of his mouth, the only things he had said to her. Eventually she sighed, having a feeling that she wasn't the only one that went around masking her emotions.

Trying to climb out of the pit of despair she had fallen into she got a tissue and wiped her eyes, just as the door opened and the sound of two excited female voices entered.

"He's always been a player I suppose," a voice was saying, "though Aline is a real low I must admit."

"You need to let this go already! Look as you said, Jace never does anything without a reason…I'm sure it won't last long anyway" another voice replied.

"You're not the one who saw her practically naked! Anyway you're right, so moving on swiftly how is Jordan? I saw you guys looking pretty cosy over lunch"

Clary unlocked the door and walked out to see a long dark haired girl applying mascara and the other girl leaning against the dryer.

"Oh, God are you okay? Not that it's any of my business but you look pretty upset…Clary right? You're in my homeroom. I'm Izzy and this is Maia" the dark haired beauty gestured to herself.

Clary just nodded, seeing just how red-rimmed her eyes were in the mirror as she smiled at the two girls, wishing she could say something in return. Luckily they didn't seem to notice, allowing her to join in their conversation about some ex-boyfriend of Maia's called Jordan whose title may be updated pretty soon the way things were going. Allowing herself to relax and delve into someone else's problems she nodded at the suitable times and walked to her next class with them, grateful to have made some friends.

It was the end of the school day and Daniel was enjoying himself immensely, finally finding someone who hated the 'perfect golden-boy' Jace as much as he did. Sitting in his new friend's car catching a ride home he looked at the girl in the backseat quietly listening to music with a frown etched into her skin as she stared out of the window.

"So anyway," Jonathan was saying with eyes bright with emotion, "he needs to be taught a lesson. He's a cocky arrogant jerk who thinks he can come onto my sister while I'm sitting right there..." Daniel let him go on, glad at the anger he saw in his eyes. He continued to let him rant until they pulled up at his house, and thanking Jonathan for the ride, got out and went inside.

_Finally_ thought Daniel, smiling to himself, _Jace Lightwood is going down._

**Okay so the ending is pretty abrupt but hopefully it makes it feel as if the story is going somewhere (which it is!) Like it? Hate it? Let me know whatever! And again say if you have any ideas/suggestions for the story...Hopefully you enjoyed it at least a little...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! So a few things to say, firstly thank you for the amazing response to this story! To those who have reviewed I am very grateful and happy that you have done so! I'm really busy at the moment but they have given me the motivation to squeeze time to write this quickly..secondly to anyone who has been unsure but Daniel is Maia's evil brother (who was dead in the books) so it's suited that him and Jonathan would become the best of friends...sorry for shortness of this chapter will try and update asap but am away all weekend...**

Chapter 4

It was Friday afternoon and Magnus was walking through the school corridors with a huge smile plastered across his face. That evening, there would the biggest party of the year so far courtesy of Isabelle Lightwood. Magnus thought back to when Alec had mentioned it, chuckling to himself at his trepidation.

"_Hey!" an enthusiastic Izzy had said to the person next to her in class. "Pass this note around will you? It's about my Halloween party on Friday; parents are away so it'll be a blast." _

_Simon had agreed instantly, as if he would do anything else, Magnus had thought as he'd rolled his eyes, glancing over to see Alec's reaction to his sisters open invitation. For some reason he was anxiously gazing at Magnus, his cheeks reddening, with Magnus realising why shortly after when he saw the note pass in the opposite direction to him. He glanced at the clock, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw there was only a few minutes before the end of class, there was no way that note was going to reach him. As the bell had rung he allowed himself to drift toward Alec, happy when he initiated the conversation._

"_So I guess you saw it then" Alec mumbled. Magnus admired the subtle approach that was completely lost on the poor guy._

"_Saw what? Other than the ridiculous amount of homework piling up on my desk over the weekend I saw absolutely nothing." Magnus countered, enjoying the way Alec was looking increasingly uncomfortable._

"_I mean the note!" was the loud reply, understanding of Magnus's strategy dawning on Alec._

"_A note?! Why whatever did it say?" Magnus said in a mock outraged tone, deciding that Alec was being teased enough for today when he interrupted Alec's incoherent reply_

"_Well it was…Izzy's idea..to have some people..casual you know…-"_

"_I'll be there" Magnus delivered his parting words, leaning close to an awestruck Alec who had smiled as he walked away._

Definitely talk of the school, Magnus commended Izzy in his thoughts, _That girl sure knows how to spread the word._

Meanwhile Daniel and Jonathan were forming a strategy to implement that evening, which would hopefully result in sparking the events that would lead to Jace's ruin. So far Daniel had revealed little which clued Jonathan into the reason of his hatred of Jace, but he wasn't going to complain when he got a willing ally out of it. Not that Jonathan found it difficult to make friends, he reasoned to himself, just that he didn't see the point in them. He had the uncanny ability to intimidate anyone who got in his way, which led to his ultimate control over those weaker than him that served him better than being their _friend. _The only problem Jonathan had encountered had been what to do with Clary. Their father insisted they socialised with the new students and thus would not allow Jonathan to leave his sister at home, but he only had a feeling that she would meddle with his plans. After all, every day that week she had been in the same car as them on the way home, listening to their conversations about Jace. The finer details of the plan had been arranged far away from Clary although, Jonathan had grudgingly accepted long ago, she was far too perceptive not to pick up on something going on. _I'll just have to have a word with her before_, Jonathan had assured himself.

However Clary already had plans for before the party, amazingly, she had noted to herself, with the hostess herself. Izzy and Maia had both helped Clary massively throughout the week, seemingly accepting her lack of communication in their strides and filling any silence with plenty of conversation. This had the additional bonus of spending as little time with Jonathan throughout the day as humanely possible, the result being that Clary felt a lot more comfortable than she had in months. She would smile at both Jordan and Simon when she saw them, the two guys that she sat with at lunch most frequently. Alec even acknowledged her once or twice throughout the week, who Clary found out from Izzy was one of her brother's. The other brother (who she had discovered began living with them at the age of 10 for some reason) she hadn't seen so much. Clary sighed, frustrated at the way her thoughts would always drift to that of the golden haired boy she sat next to in art class. He hadn't been in any since, nor said another word to her following the ones in the cafeteria. Whenever Izzy mentioned him, which was quite often amongst her other incessant yet endearing babbling, Clary got the impression that he was the 'bad boy' of the school, frequently missing classes an angering his teachers and parents. The person he got on most with Clary was surprised to hear, was his little brother Max. Pushing her thoughts away from Jace, Clary focussed on the present, acquiring the necessary books for the weekend before she went to meet Izzy and Maia at Izzy's car where they would go and get ready for the party.

Izzy smiled as she checked her phone, texting a hurried reply to Simon as she saw Maia and Clary approaching. "Guys!" she exclaimed, pulling them both into a tight hug which she could tell Clary was surprised about.

"Sorry, excited I guess…now let's go quick. By the angel we have SO much to get ready!"

Both Clary and Maia rolled their eyes at Isabelle's extravagance, noting her sweeping arm gestured as she bounded into her car. Following her example they jumped in, finding it difficult to not get caught up in her exuberance. The car journey comprised of making a to-do list for the party, which was put into action as soon as they entered the Lightwood house. _Wow_, Clary couldn't help but react to the house, despite living in what some would call a mansion. Izzy had explained, it was called an 'institute' and used to provide a home for those in need. It looked like an old Gothic cathedral which Clary felt fitted the theme perfectly.

Once they had done the necessary chores such as sweeping the floors and generally making at as 'party-friendly' as possible, Izzy dragged Maia and Clary into her room where she had declared was the preparation room. Maia had already organised her outfit for the evening, deciding to go as a werewolf whereas Clary was floundering ridiculously, having had no idea what to go as. It's not as if she didn't have any dress up clothes, _Well actually it was, _Clary grudgingly accepted. Her father had deemed that type of play 'useless' and since her mother's demise had had no way of convincing him otherwise. Izzy decided to take control of the situation, saving Clary the effort of attempting to convey the lack of suitable clothing.

"Right Clary! No offence, I'm sure your outfit is great and everything, but I've already prepared you're costume. Don't be mad but I've been dying to give you a makeover since I first saw you…in a non creepy way." Izzy amended her last words whilst she placed Clary down in front of the mirror.

"You and I are going as shadowhunters." She said with a grin on her face.

**So! This is the first of a two part chapter - and yes i know shadowhunters are not really a conventional halloween dressup but more will be explained next chapter !**

**Look forward to writing about blossoming relationships and drama, as well as Jonathan and Daniel's elaborate plan! Any guesses?**

**Please R and R! Seriously guys you have no idea how happy it makes me - and sorry if you thought this chapter was bad (I'm not completely happy with it) but next chapter will be better and longer hopefully! This is more of a buildup :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, so thanks again for the reviews. follows and favourites - really appreciate them! Won't be able to update at all this coming weekend so have done half of the actual party chapter now and the next will hopefully come by Tuesday. The pace is pretty fast moving now, and Clary and Jace start to come a lot closer very quickly! Sorry if you feel i'm moving too fast but hopefully the events leading up to the end of the chapter make it more of a natural progression. Last thing to mention sorry for Jonathan's evilness in this chapter!**

Chapter 5

"Shadowhunters?!" Maia said whilst applying her makeup, thick, heavy eyeliner that shaped her eyes perfectly.

"Okay well it's something me and my brothers made up when we were little," Izzy began, "When we were playing around we needed something to fight all of these imaginary demons and we made up these 'superhumans' called shadowhunters. They're half human and half angel and have these super cool things called runes which give them powers…well we were really into it at the time. It's a tradition of ours to dress up as them on Halloween and when I see Clary I think _now she's shadowhunter material_, no offence Maia…"

"None taken…" was the bemused reply of the girl whose offence was in question, who looked happy to be out of the whole fiasco. Clary wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, less so when Izzy came at her brandishing a sharpie.

"Okay so we drew these runes all over our bodies and trust me when I say I have had a LOT of practice!" Not having the heart to crush her enthusiasm Clary relented all control, sitting passively whilst Izzy drew permanent ink on her. When she finally allowed Clary to look in the mirror she was pleasantly surprised. Down the side of her neck were intricate shapes spiralling down on various parts of her body. Across her shoulder blades were symmetrical 'runes' as well as on her wrists. Her collarbone was also graced with another design, and Clary smiled at her new appearance. She looked tough and feisty, easily worthy of the title of someone who could stand up to Jonathan. As well as this Izzy had made her eyes smoky with the use of grey and black eyeliner, increasing the size of them and giving them definition. Even Izzy looked slightly surprised at what her efforts had achieved, and Clary heard Maia wolf whistle.

As for the dressing of a shadowhunter, Clary was slightly sceptical of the very short black dress of Izzy's which she claimed she wore 'as a casual top'. _What children's game involves dressing like sluts…were_ the thoughts travelling through Clary's mind. Isabelle, as if sensing Clary's trepidation, hurriedly breathed "The idea was initiated purely innocently...you dress to attract attention..."

Clary was going to make a gesture of resistance but stopped when she saw what Izzy planned to wear. Laid out on her bed were the hugest pair of black wedges Clary had ever seen, followed by a tight fitting blood red dress, which flared ad the hips and had an extremely low cut front, with netting filling in the space between. Once it was on her Clary couldn't help but take a hit at her own self esteem, she looked incredible. Maia did also, Clary realised. With furry gloves she wore a black vest top tucked into a fuzzy miniskirt, with ears to compliment the outfit too.

Jace emerged from the library where he had been indulging himself in some light reading for the last few hours to find the party in full swing, with more flooding in by the minute. He wasn't dressed up, and, as he'd said to placate Izzy, he wasn't really in the party mood. She had let the issue go after that, knowing he had skipped school for the last couple of days so something must be up. Jace sighed, realising he'd have to start shaping up if he was going to graduate, and that there would be hell to pay when the Lightwood's got back from their business trip. As he was walking through to get to his room his eyes caught sight of the red-head in art looking absolutely ravishing in a tight black dress which hugged her body perfectly, cutting off mid-thigh. _Shadowhunter, _Jace noted with a smile as he saw the delicate runes all over her skin, making her look sublime. Captivated by her, Jace stood still and forgot about the pressed teenage bodies around him, watching as she stood anxiously looking around alone in the corner. Before he knew what he was doing, and abandoning the 'avoiding the party idea' Jace found himself striding over to her. When he got there he took a while to appreciate their close proximity, marvelling at what he imagined was Izzy's handiwork.

"Do you want me to get you a drink?" He said, leaning close so she would understand over the blaring music. Jace watched the way her eyes widened when she saw who he was, a light pink glossing her cheeks as she hesitantly smiled and nodded. Noting her nervousness, Jace decided beer was the best option as he didn't want her to be intimated by him thrusting a spirit at her. He wandered to the kitchen, and after picking up two beers from the fridge, handed one to her. As their fingertips brushed eachother during the exchange Jace was surprised to feel a sharp tingle escalate up his arm, jerking his arm away as soon as he got a chance. Clary seemed to have a similar reaction, jumping slightly as if she had had an electric shock.

Meanwhile Daniel was holding Jonathan back as he tried to go over to where Jace and Clary were standing.

"Look this is fine," he was saying, "He's distracted by her to notice us, it'll be much easier now." With further consoling words Jonathan relented, ceasing to struggle against Daniel's grip. He collected himself aptly, and once he had regained control and squashed the initial bile that had risen from seeing Clary in an exchange with the guy he despised most at the school, he went through the plan with his accomplice again making sure every detail was covered. As they made their way towards the corner Jonathan ensured his game face was entact.

"Hey there, Jace. See you're socialising with my sister over here." He inclined his head over to Clary whilst draping an arm round her drawing her closer. Clary visibly stiffened from his touch, an action that did go unnoticed by Jace as he became on edge. He returned an uneasy reply of greeting and waited for Jonathan to continue, barely registering the silent Daniel standing by him, eyeing his beer hungrily.

"Well I know what I said before, and the consequence still stands. Lay a finger on her and you'll be sorry." His arm fell from Clary as he stared at Jace, his black eyes penetrating his gaze which he did not relinquish until he felt Daniel's foot tap his once, the sign they had arranged. Abruptly he grabbed Clary's wrist and muttering "Follow me I need to talk to you" walked away, hoping Daniel would slip away into the shadows.

Getting into the hallway Clary found herself whipped round and held against the wall, her shoulders roughly gripped by Jonathan.

"What the hell are you wearing _Clarissa_?" His teeth grinded, with bits of saliva coming out as a sign of his rage. Clary stood, mute, as she watched the anger build up in him as it had many times before, preparing herself for the worst. As if to emphasise his point he grabbed a bit of the flimsy material, yanking it harshly making it tear. Tears of anger began to form in the corner of Clary's eyes as she struggled against his grip, fuming at the way in which he had had the audacity to ruin someone else's property. She closed her eyes firmly shut, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"You look like a common whore." Jonathan uttered, his eyes raking over her skimpy outfit. Clary outraged at this statement and feeling more claustrophobic by the second, took this opportunity to knee Jonathan in the groin in an effort to make him release her. It hurt, she could tell, but this only served in enraging him further as he reached his hand back and slapped her hard across the face.

Max, who had been sitting on the stairs quietly watching the exchange, decided that this was his moment to show that he was an adult, capable of doing adult things like intervening when someone was doing a bad thing. He ran up to Jonathan and jumped on his back, gasping with pain as he was shrugged violently off and whacked into the corner of a side table, his head cracking against the marble floor.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY BROTHER" came the cry of Isabelle as she saw Max fall to the floor, with Alec following just behind once he had heard the commotion. Izzy rushed over to Max, who was crumpled up into a ball and sobbing quietly, while Alec ran up to Jonathan and punched him in the face, causing him to release his grip on Clary who promptly took the opportunity to see if Max was okay.

When Jace rounded the corner having successfully dodged Aline for the moment he was surprised to see Alec and Jonathan on the floor, with Izzy and Clary surrounded by a small figure. His heart stopped beating has he realised who it was, knowing who had caused his current position. Sweeping into the brawl he successfully pinned Jonathan down with Alec's help and between the two of them they hoisted him up, dragged him to the door and threw him out of the house.

"Don't you dare show your face in here ever again." Were the parting words Jace delivered as they slammed the door in his face. Hurrying back to the scene they had just left, Jace saw Izzy carrying Max upstairs in her arms and Clary in the same position she had been in previously, crouching now with her entire body shaking at the intensity of the sobs travelling through her core.

"Hey, hey…what's wrong? He's gone now you know." They both knew who he was talking about, and as she moved her face away from her knees Jace saw the angry red welt forming on her upper cheek, as well as the torn material of her dress. He didn't need to ask who had done this, just seeing the possessive way her brother had looked at her over his past encounters was confirmation enough. Noticing the people starting to congregate in the hallway he gently lifted Clary up to her feet, ignoring the tingles that he felt, and led her away from their prying eyes, his empty beer left where he had placed it.

Before she knew where she was going Clary found herself sitting in the tidiest, barest room she had ever been in while Jace closed the door behind him. She wasn't surprised by the lack of fear coursing through her veins at being in a room with only a guy, like she had been innumerable times with her brother. The tears hadn't stopped flowing and Clary felt a jolt of electricity when Jace's thumb brushed a stray one away, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"Your brother is a dick." He stated bluntly, watching for her reaction. When he saw her sigh the wave of empathy he had previously felt for her doubled. Jonathan obviously affected her much more than people realised, Jace comprehended with a shock, noting that he had never heard her utter one word. Deciding not to push that issue for now he just sat next to her, giving her company as Jace had no desire to be downstairs.

As they sat there for some time, Jace began to realise that he was having an unusual effect from merely one beer. His head was starting to spin and his vision was blurring, and as he stood trying to clear it his balance failed miserably, sending him tumbling to the floor.

"Sorry..my drink, think" were the slurred words that Clary deciphered from his incoherent mumbles. Putting the pieces together she made the connection of Daniel's silent presence earlier, with him and her brother only staying long enough for a few lines of conversation and some intense staring. She vaguely recalled a conversation with Izzy and Maia, with Maia mentioning Daniel's dodgy drug taking which she swore she would never be a part of, and the frustration at her parent's blindness to the situation despite trying to clue them in.

She tried to lift him to his bed but he was frustratingly heavy, Clary huffed with annoyance. Eventually with a bit of his help his body got onto his bed, with Clary about to leave to get help when she heard to words that broke her resolve altogether.

"Stay…Clary…"

**Okay! So there it is! Think it's pretty obvious what their plan was now...hopefully you enjoyed it and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review and tell me what you think, or with any ideas. Good or bad it doesn't matter - I would like any kind of constructive feedback! Next chapter we will see how all the other characters get on at the party (cough Malec cough).**

**Thanks again for reviewing, and please don't hesitate to ask me anything at all :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Next chapter up! Though at the moment admittedly I have slightly more motivation for my Klaroline fic as it only has one chapter but anyway I'm writing this first so I definitely get it done!**

Jace was now under his covers and patting them pathetically, looked at Clary with eyes so vulnerable that she couldn't NOT go and sit next to him, after all she needed to make sure nothing bad happened to him, not now she knew what had happened. At least that reason felt safer to admit to, Clary grudgingly accepted. Sitting down on the bed she was surprised when he pulled her down so that she was lying next to him.

"You're an…angel" Jace whispered, his face so close to hers that she felt his cool breath wash over her. Blushing furiously at her words she kept reminding herself that it was the drugs talking.

"But..you don't..speak. Because..because…because of _him_. Jonathan." Clary gasped at his words, startled at his perceptive skills. He must have been watching her to put the pieces together and found herself relaxing as his hand traced her arm, sending light shivers through her body.

"When the lightwoods adopted me, I…I didn't speak much at first." He continued, staring intently at Clary. "I tried to shut everyone out, stopping everyone from caring about me. But…but...they kept trying. They were relentless in caring about…me. SO much, so much so that eventually they..got through. I'm going to keep…trying with you". Jace said, which rendered Clary utterly speechless. If it wasn't for the hiccupping then she would have thought he was completely genuine, with no hint of sarcasm or a smirk on his face.

After this speech Jace curled up next to Clary, snaking his arm round her body and drawing her close so she was tucked up next to him. Moving would have been an impossible feat, given his strength and determination so Clary relented, succumbing to the amazing feeling that being in Jace's close proximity gave her. A few minutes later she heard the gentle sound of his snores fill the room, the proof that he was asleep giving Clary the courage to do something she had never done before. She placed the softest of kisses against his lips before uttering the first two words she had said to anyone in years.

"_Thank you."_

Isabelle had crept up to Jace's room to see how they were, presuming Clary was with him but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw them sleeping together, cuddled up close. She hadn't seen him look so peaceful and honest with a girl for years, and as for Clary, well she had lost the inhibitions that seemed to cloud her whilst at school and around her brother and was comfortable in her brother's arms. Not knowing how such a situation could've arisen she quickly slipped out again, grabbing her camera from her room and snapping a quick picture, just to have the memory. Turning off the light and closing the door gently she walked back downstairs and, upon seeing Simon quickly took his hand and led him to the dancefloor.

* * *

Magnus was busy meanwhile sitting in the kitchen, talking to Alec about the fight with Jonathan. Having made sure Max was in bed Alec looked exhausted as he leant his head on the table, not protesting when Magnus placed his arm round him and rubbed soothing circles on his back. "He'll be okay you know." Magnus whispered, leaning on him slightly.

"Yeah," Alec turned to look at him, eyes brimmed with tears, "I just feel like I'm the responsible one here you know? I should have let nothing bad happen tonight."

Magnus tilted his head up with a single finger so their eyes were locked on each other.

"Listen to me. You did everything you could, don't berate yourself. Max is fine now, you made sure of that." Following this he leant forward slightly, planting the softest of kisses on his cheek. Alec sighed, leaning in to him further when suddenly Simon and Izzy walked in, holding hands. Alec jerked away, trying to ignore the pang of hurt that went through his body as he saw Magnus's expression. He looked like he had punched him in the gut.

"Sorry didn't mean to disturb!" Izzy's intoxicated voice slurred across to them. "You looked like you were having a pretty intimate moment" she giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Alec stood up abruptly, shrugging off Magnus's arm and saying hurriedly

"We weren't! Not at all! Magnus was just..er….leaving weren't you?" He looked at him with pleading eyes, with Izzy and Simon glancing at eachother.

Magnus allowed a mask to go across his face as he tried not to reveal the hurt he was feeling, standing up and leaving without a word.

_Great, _Alec thought. _I've royally screwed up now._

* * *

Jace woke up to feel a warm body wrapped around him, a head using his chest as a pillow. _What happened last night?!_ Were the first words to enter his mind, as he tried to focus. All of his clothes were on, he noted, and it definitely didn't feel like Aline pressed against him so who..Jace glanced down, his mouth forming a perfect 'o' as he saw Clary sleeping peacefully below him. Her eyelashes fluttered lightly, and her mouth was slightly open as she breathed deeply. She looked beautiful.

Instead of waking her, Jace stayed exactly how he was for a few minutes, piecing together last night. Distant memories started forming before he groaned in frustration, _Jonathan, _he angrily thought, memories of Clary's cheek and fighting with him resurfacing. How did he end up here though? Jace blanched as he recollected asking, no, begging Clary to stay and describing her as an angel. He smacked his hand over his head in embarrassment, causing Clary to groan softly and switch position, leaning into him even more. Growing more and more uncomfortable at how he was enjoying this scenario, where he never normally liked lying with a girl unless she was more undressed, he decided to clear his head with a shower, gently moving her to the side so he could get up. In case she woke up, Jace scribbled a quick note explaining he had gone out, wanting to avoid any awkward morning moments.

_Clary,_

_Had to go. Things to do. Sorry for last night, it was a mistake._

_Jace _

Sighing at the cold tone he placed it by his pillow, knowing it was for the best that he didn't get too attached.

**Right, yes it's short…but I'm super busy tonight and just wanted to get something up so I could write the next chapter of my Klaroline fic before I go out! If there are any mistakes I haven't had time to proof read so hopefully it isn't awful…need more motivation for this fic so PLEASE read and review, and message me with any plot ideas as I haven't really planned it! Obviously I have an idea where it is going but if anyone has a direction in mind please let me know..! Thanks for reading and apologies for badness/lateness/shortness of this chapter! **

**ALSO SORRY JUST REALISED HOW MEAN EVERYBODY IS BEING! Don't worry it won't last long, especially the Malec situation, Alec just needs to sort his feelings out **


	7. Chapter 7

**This is late, I know and alas I am trying to remedy the situation by hurriedly writing the next chapter after this! Thanks to all who reviewed and added this story to their alerts etc**

Chapter 7

_Shit_. The first word that Clary thought when she opened her eyes. _Valentine will be furious. _Not only had she not gone home that evening, but she had neglected to contact him regarding her whereabouts. Jonathan was no doubt home and taking most of his anger, which in turn would only fuel him and ultimately contribute to the carnage that would await her when she walked through her door. Sitting up in bed she realised with a start that she was in Jace's room, and judging by the cool feel of the sheets beside her, he had been gone for a while. Whilst rummaging with her hand she felt a piece of paper.

_Had to go. Things to do. Sorry for last night, it was a mistake._

_What was a mistake?!_ Clary panicked. _Him saying what he said or spending the night with me in general…so he didn't mean it? _Shocked at the cold nature of the note in contrast to the last words he had said Clary came back down to earth slightly. _Obviously he didn't mean it you moron, he's barely said two words to you before. It was whatever he was spiked with by Jo-_

Clary felt the unmistakeable wave of dread sink into the pit of her stomach when she remembered the scene he had caused, as well as hurting Max. Forgetting about Jace for a moment, and brandishing thoughts of being an angel from her mind, Clary immediately jumped out of bed and headed for the door, meaning to check on him and see if he was okay. Catching a glimpse of what she looked like in the mirror she blanched at the lack of cover, grabbing what she assumed was Jace's hoodie to cover herself a bit. Wandering around she found Izzy in the kitchen who smiled as she walked in.

"Was wondering when you'd emerge from the infamous bedroom, Jace said he had to run some errands by the way and didn't want to wake you."

Clary ran a hand through her tangled hair; sighing as she realised Max was grabbing some cereal behind the counter. Following her glance, Izzy got up and swiftly enveloped Clary in a hug.

"You don't have to go back there just now, having seen what your brother is capable of I could never willingly send you back to face his wrath." Wiping a stray tear running down Clary's face, something Clary seemed to be reduced to often of late, Izzy grabbed her some food and told her to feel welcome here.

"God knows this place is big enough to shelter an entire village." Was the final sentence before they lapsed into a comfortable silence, before Izzy looked at the time and with a start exclaimed "Shit Simon's going to be late for his band practice! One second."

For the second time in less that 12 hours Clary found the courage to whisper two words again.

"_Thank you."_

_Come on Jace, pull yourself together. _While walking aimlessly Jace tried to rid himself of the red-haired beauty that for all he knew was still in his bed. Having found out where Clary lived from the school database he had decided that paying the Morgenstern's a small visit wouldn't go amiss. There was no way that he was letting her go back there without checking the situation out, whether she knew he cared or not. _Cared_ Jace scoffed at the word in his head, _This is for Max, not her. _These thoughts sustained him but not for long, he was becoming increasingly aware of the effect Clary had on him. Walking up to the house he peered into the nearby window, noting that all the lights were off. _Great, just what I need_ Jace smiled, realising that there was no car in the driveway either. Hoping nobody was in he did a quick check of the exterior, an important initial task when preparing to do a light breaking and entering of a property. Despite having moved on from causing trouble for the Lightwood's, at least in mildly criminal ways, Jace felt that this was a necessary step in ensuring his Cl-Max's safety.

Ten minutes later and he was in, with the lock-picking tools required for this kind of job serving their purpose well. The lack of an alarm unsettled Jace slightly as he recognised that there was one, meaning the most likely explanation was that the residents had only gone out briefly as the silence meant it was empty now. He'd have to work quickly. Swiftly moving through the ground floor, finding only a locked basement door of any significant interest Jace moved upstairs and walked into the first room he could find. With an easel propped up by the window next to the green curtains, Jace could only imagine that this was Clary's room. Intrigued, he gingerly stepped in, eager to see what she was painting. Craning his neck past the nearly empty canvas he saw sketches strewn across an old mahogany desk. Leafing through aimlessly he found them equally exquisite until he came to one that stopped him dead in his tracks. A closeup of a face, with immaculately captured detail rendering the sketch almost to a photograph Jace's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him, noting the bottom left writing 'Jace'. Hearing a noise he snatched the sketch up with his hands and immediately stiffened, looking for the nearest available exit. This was not the time or the place to get distracted from the task at had, which was to make Jonathan know that he wasn't to be messed with.

Judging by the sound of voices from downstairs now would not be the time that Jonathan got the shit scared out of him, Jace had no intention of being caught breaking and entering again. Waiting for the sound of the front door to be securely shut he eased the window in Clary's room open slightly. Judging by the angry shouts from downstairs he wouldn't be heard. Looking out the window Jace judged the distance to the ground and, deciding with the help of the drainpipe he could manage it, edged out of the window and lowered himself to the ground. Landing on the grass with a successful thud, Jace smiled, self-satisfied, and dusting his hands off began to walk off home.

A hand with an iron grasp suddenly attached to his shoulder, rendering him unable to move any further. _Shit, _thought Jace.

**I'm not very happy with this in addition to finding it hard to find much direction for the storyline, have been a bit preoccupied with my other mortal instruments fic which you should check out if interested!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE! Also this is annoyingly short - my original draft for the chapter deleted itself somehow so I hurriedly rewrote it to a far poorer standard...to everyone who has reviewed and generally supported this story I really appreciate it and seriously you're all awesome. Next chapter will involve more background information and development of certain relation relationships but sorry for how bad this one is! Also check out my new fic if you're interested - it's called 'there are exceptions to every rule' and I'm really enjoying writing it! **

**Chapter 8**

"Whilst it was nice of you to pop by, Jace." The unmistakeable voice of Jonathan Morgestern said into his captor's ear. "The least you could have done was to introduce yourself to my father. Being Clary's boyfriend after all. And, just so you know. My father is very protective of our darling Clary, even more so than me. But I'm SURE she has told you ALL about that." With a sharp cackle Jonathan spun Jace around - so they were face to face with his other hand reaching up to grip the free shoulder.

Jace didn't even bother trying to move at this current moment, he knew that letting Jonathan THINK he had the upper hand was of upmost importance whilst he fruitlessly tried to think of a way out of this predicament.

"We can remedy that situation though, don't worry, if you would just like to come with me."

Now this Jace could control. Without a word he ducked out of Jonathan's grasp, turning to his right to get free before kneeing him in the groin. He was about to turn to go when the unmistakeable cock of a gun was heard.

"From all the commotion anyone would think that you were disrespecting my son by refusing his generous offer of entering our home. Now whilst I know that that is not really the case, how would any other like minded individual tale the situation? If I were you I would come into the house. We don't want to cause a scene, however easy it would be to do so." Valentine even had the audacity to smile at Jace, though it was cold and devoid of emotion.

Very slowly Jace put his hands up and walked towards the house, deliberately stepping over the body of Jonathan who was still writhing on the floor.

Once the three of them were inside Valentine sighed. "That's better." He breathed - whilst indicating that Jace should sit down in the kitchen.

* * *

All that Clary knew was that something was very, very wrong. There had been no angry calls, no sudden kidnapping, nothing. Not a hint of an indication that her wayward family were in any way angry at her. But Clary knew better. No something was up, she thought to herself, and she was damn well going to find out what it was. Taking a deep breath Clary prepared herself for the most amount of words she had ever said to Izzy before.

"Isabelle.." Clary had only whispered, but it was enough. From the armchair in which she was lounging on Izzy's head snapped round to look at Clary with lightning speed.

"I'm going to the store, is there anything you want?" She tried to use the smallest number of words as possible to get her point across.

"Hey well I'm good thanks, but don't mind coming with you? You don't know where Jonathan is after all..." Izzy trailed off when she saw Clary shake her head confidently. "Erm okay, well text me if you need anything yeah?"

Internally Clary was mentally gearing herself up for the feat she was about to undertake. Going voluntarily to her own home after recent events was borderline suicidal, but she had to know that everything was okay. Her first mission would be to go back home and then, if Jace wasn't there, and Clary hoped this would be the case, to find him and - Clary suppressed the shudder that threatened to envelop her as she thought her next words - talk.

As soon as she had exited Izzy's Clary set off at a fast jog, adrenaline fuelling her stamina to get where she needed to go. 8 minutes later she arrived at her house and stared in dread at the front door. Sparing a look at the rest of the house she was surprised to see her bedroom window open a fraction, when she knew it had been closed when she left. Trying to ignore the ever increasing dread rising from the pit of her stomach she strided towards the front door, fumbling in her pocket for the keys that she had somewhere.

* * *

Jace was struggling to keep his eyes open and remain conscious after the beating he was taking. With no energy to move from the chair he'd been angrily shoved in he just tried to think of other things as he was pummelled to a pulp by Jonathan.

"Don't...you...ever...even...look...at...my...sist er...ever...again...do...you...hear...me..." In between words Jace was lucky enough to receive another punch to his face, which was now profusely bleeding.

Clary...Jace thought to himself...think of Clary...

"STOP!" A voice sounding distinctly Clary like screamed at the top of her lungs. Internally Jace praised himself at his skill to imagine her so vividly. But when the punches did indeed stop another realisation was slowly dawning on him. Opening his eyes just a fraction he was alarmed to see her in the kitchen doorway with anger gleaming in her eyes as she stared at the scene in thinly disguised horror.


End file.
